Field
This disclosure relates to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, this disclosure relates to cache memories for use within data processing systems.
Description
It is known to provide data processing systems with cache memories to provide high speed and low energy access to data and/or instructions. A cache memory stores a proper subset the data and/or instructions held within a main memory system. The particular portions of data and/or instructions from the memory address space held within the cache memory are identified by tag values. A tag value identifies a memory address region within the memory address space corresponding to one or more data values (this term also encompasses instructions) held within the cache memory. The size of the block of data values associated with a tag value within a cache memory is set by the architecture of the cache memory to represent a balance between the granularity within which blocks of data may be stored and the overhead in providing tag value storage to identify the blocks stored within the cache memory.